This Weekend in Red Bank & Asbury Park

Very exciting time of year in Monmouth County for Jazz/Blues enthusiasts and Gays alike!

Friday kicks off the 22nd Annual Red Bank Jazz & Blues Festival at Marine Park. While I dig the music, I go more for the BBQ! Some of the best BBQ in NJ is to be had there for sure. I’m hoping to swing by on Friday night. Who’s game?

Sunday marks the 17th Annual Jersey Pride Celebration. As always there will be a parade, live entertainment, and, you guessed it, BBQ!!!!!! I look forward to “coming out” to support my gays! Who’s coming?

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Dine Downtown in April!

As Red Bank Green so eloquently reports, The Red Bank River Center is sponsoring Dine Downtown, a restaurant promotion in cooperation with 16 downtown dining establishments that feature prix fixe menus (ranging in price from $15-$35) on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings throughout the month of April.

This may be an excellent opportunity not only to try a restaurant I’ve never been to before, but perhaps make it an official Bayshore Friends gathering!  Please post if you’re interested, or better yet… join Bayshore Friends and let us know there!

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Shogun Legends, Wall Township

In our neverending quest to try all sushi joints in Central NJ, our travels took us to the new Shogun Legends on Route 34 in Wall Township. It is owned by the same people who own Shogun Bey Lea in Toms River.

Overall, it’s quite nice. The decor is contemporary and elegant, and the big aquarium is quite the eye-catcher. I heard they put about 3 million into renovating the spot.  It certainly looks like it.

The main dining area downstairs is big, and there is a nice bar area as well as private party room. We dined downstairs (by the sushi bar). I wanted to go upstairs to check out the hibachi area, but perhaps another time.

I started off with the savory sesame noodles. They were good, nothing spectacular, but tasty. He had the 8 piece sushi appetizer. I forget what was all included, but it was 2 each of 4 varieties. One, however, was some sort of scallop roll in seaweed – it was very, very good.

For my “main course” I had the Pa-Pa Dragon roll – eel, tuna, avocado, with a honey walnut in it and caviar on top — very unique, very yummy! I also had a simple eel roll. He had the Flaming Heart roll – which for the life of me I forget what was in that – and a plain Philadelphia roll. No complaints from him.

While we still think Kanji – and Ichiban – are tops, Shogun Legends is definitely good enough to warrant a return visit.

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Kanji – a return visit!

Seriously folks, if you’re looking for a top notch sushi experience, run, don’t walk, to Kanji Steakhouse and Sushi. It’s up there with our other favorite Monmouth County Japanese restaurant, Ichiban in Ocean.

We returned on Sunday evening with his parents and grandmother. They are not big fans of Japanese food. They like hibachi just fine, but are not into sushi AT ALL.

We had our usual sashimi appetizer & avocado salad. We also ordered 3 different rolls a piece. We always share. It’s always too much, but we like to try a variety.

One of the rolls was a plain old California roll. His Dad, who has never tried any sushi in his life — not even a California roll — tried one and said “Hey, that’s pretty good!” He thoroughly enjoyed his Shumai appetizer and raved about the Shrimp Tempura (cooked) roll. Trust me, this was a big step!

We both wanted an order of Sunshine rolls, since it was the winner on our first trip. However, this time the White Christmas roll won as best special roll. It was simply divine!!! I hope they continue to offer that in the future.

We will back again and again!

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The Original SoupMan(tm) Comes to Broad Street

It would figure I move out of town and the Original SoupMan(tm) moves in. I love soup, especially in the colder weather months. I will have to make a special trip back to Red Bank to check this place out. I’ve never tried OSM ever, so I’m going in with an open mind.

Read official press release after the jump…

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Broadway Grill Breakfast

If you’re looking for a hearty breakfast, we highly recommend the Broadway Grill on Broad Street.  They offer all the usual breakfast items… pancakes, french toast, eggs, waffles, sausage, bacon, etc.

I had “The Revue” – French toast with strawberries, scrambled eggs, roasted potatoes, and bacon.  The tasty scrambled eggs were very fluffy.  The potatoes were not your typical home fries, they were true chunks of potatoes roasted perfectly. All of it was spot on and delicious.

He had the O’Neill omelet – portabella mushroom, spinach, and swiss cheese along with roasted potatoes, sausage, and English muffin.  He raved about the omelet saying it was perfectly made.

Everything was quite yummy so if you haven’t tried the Broadway Grill for breakfast yet, do so!

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Red Bank Street Fair

How horrible is it that I have no desire to check out the Street Fair today? I drove by (on Maple) and saw the crowds and it freaked me out just looking at it. I tend not to have a good time in large crowds. I get claustrophobic! 😦 That’s not to say I don’t go to fairs and festivals or open air markets, but I’m usually in and out in a flash. Or if alcohol is available it tends to calm my nerves.

Another reason I’m not tempted to go down there is because we really need to pinch pennies now that we are moving at the end of the month. I don’t really have the funds to purchase anything which is the fun of going to such things, ya know?

Instead I’m gonna stay home and make some coconut curried chicken and eggplant for dinner. 🙂

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Gaetano’s

If you’re looking for tasty casual Italian cuisine, then Gaetano’s is for you.

Before we were seated, we were first shown some of the available specials that were on display. They all looked very good. We were very impressed with the black fettuccini with swordfish and cockle clams, in fact I don’t think I’ve ever seen that on a menu at any restaurant I’ve ever been to.

The only disappointment for me was the inability to order Sangria by the glass. They only sell wine by the bottle or you can bring your own. I couldn’t justify buying a whole bottle as I’m not that big of a wine drinker nor is my other half.

Our first appetizer choice, Calamari Calabrese, was not available, so we went with the traditional fried calamari. No biggie. Either way we were set on having squid, so we were just glad to have at least one squid option available to us. The spicy Mediterranean Caponata sauce that comes with the calabrese version sounded really good, though. So I guess we’ll just have to go back and try that another time.

I chose their signature dish Lamb Osso Buco as my entree. It took a while to prepare, as the server warned me, but I was patient. Good things come to those who wait, right? In this case, yes! The lamb was succulent and tender while the pappardella pasta was right on. Together it was a hearty, satisfying dish and worth the $24.95. It was a lot of food so I needed a box. It will be a great lunch tomorrow.

He ordered the stuffed flounder special. Stuffed with all the seafood he loves – lobster, shrimp, scallops, and crabmeat – it was a hit! He noted the crispy potato “cake” that came with it was also very good.

It was a lot of food, so we could not even think about dessert. I’m sure they are wonderful, though.

In summary, we enjoyed our first dining experience at Gaetano’s and will definitely go back some time.

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I <3 The Farmer’s Market

I’m quite pleased with the selection as of late.  In fact, I go every week now.  Today I snagged an eggplant, zucchini (2), yellow squash (1), green pepper (1), red pepper (1), yellow/white pepper (1), cucumbers (3), quart of plum tomatoes, and Tuscany peasant bread and strawberry rhubarb pie from the Lithuanian Baker.

Hopefully with my latest produce purchases from the market, I’ll have a recipe to post in my new Food section. 🙂

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Front Street Trattoria

We decided to try the Front Street Trattoria last night. Overall, it was fair, but there were some minor flaws. We went a little late (a bit after 8pm) thinking it wouldn’t be crowded and we’d have better service then. I don’t know what I was thinking. 😉 There was barely anybody in there, in fact only 2 other tables. And I believe 2 or 3 servers on duty. Our server while pleasant, was rather unhurried.

OK, I used to be a server, so I’m not coming down on the person. I know by that time of night, perhaps after a long shift, anybody would be tired and not quite 100% attentive not to mention prepping to close. So I will certainly forgive the slow service.

Food-wise, it was passable. Our bruschetta appetizer was a bit of a let down, though. The olive tapenade was quite delicious, but they only gave us two small rounds of toasted Italian bread. So I requested additional bread. The focaccia we were given was very good.

I was not wowed by the chicken & pineapple salad I had selected for my entree. The chicken was almost non-exisitent. Otherwise, it was just OK. His seafood medley with pasta was good, though.

While it was not a outstanding dining experience, I think I would go back and try again — especially for a focaccia sandwich. 🙂

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Fune

After reading some decent reviews on Chowhound, we were encouraged to try Fune, in Ocean Township, for our 2 year anniversary dinner tonight.  It is predominantly a Japanese restaurant, but some Korean dishes are available as well.

They started us out with some great Korean banchan (little side dishes) before our main appetizers arrived. This included some kimchee, which my fiance loves. Well, he is Korean after all. 😉

For appetizer, I had the simple, yet delicious eel box (eel sushi and rolls), and he had the Red Devil roll (tuna, avocado, salmon) which was quite yummy. For main course, he enjoyed the bibimbap, while I could barely finish my panko-crusted chicken. I forget the Korean name for it.

Service was quick and friendly.

They definitely seem to have an acceptable selection of Japanese fare and sushi/sashimi. The added Korean dishes give them bonus points. We liked it!

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Sogo Brown Rice Sushi

A new sushi place moved in town called Sogo Sushi at 60 Monmouth Street. What sets it apart from other sushi is that it is made with brown rice.  No white rice used in anything.

(click for slideshow)

I had the Sogo Special Salad (spinach, romaine, asparagus, avocado) and special eel roll. He had an order of smoked salmon sashimi and spicy & spicy roll. My salad was kinda blah, but the rolls were quite yummy.

While not necessarily a sit down joint, there are two small tables in there (which we took advantage of). So if you’re looking to sit down with a large group this is not an option for you. However, if you want good sushi for take-out then I would suggest it. Delivery is available for lunch only with order of over $15.00.

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McLoone’s Pier House

This review is actually written by my honey, but I’m in agreement with everything he said:

If you’re looking for a nice, quiet evening of fine dining at an affordable price, you’ll want to stay away from McLoone’s Pier House in Long Branch.

As its name implies, McLoone’s overlooks the Atlantic and sits on the boardwalk adjacent to the mind numbingly trendy Pier Village shops. Yes, the ocean’s pretty. But once you get past the view, there’s not much to recommend.

McLoone’s was jammed packed on a Friday, though it’s hard to see why. The configuration of the dining room and the acoustics combine to make it very noisy; it is difficult to have a normal conversation without shouting. As for ambiance…well, you could always make your way to the bar and listen to investment bankers sing Don Henley karaoke.

McLoone’s lack of charm is well-matched with its mediocre food. Our spicy tuna roll appetizer was positively yummy, if lacking a bit in the tuna department. But Marilyn’s Cajun blackened tilapia was average at best; no taste buds could discern the fish’s delicate flavor underneath this avalanche of spice. My peppercorn calamari salad was tasty, but the calamari was served lukewarm and a bit rubbery, not hot and crisp as I prefer.

Service was mostly fine, but we had to ask for a candle for our table as every other table had one. Marilyn also noted while walking out every other table had a bread basket, but we were not provided one nor asked if we wanted one.

Due to location, the entrees are somewhat pricey, and would-be diners checking McLoone’s online menu will find it out of date.

Click image for more pix:

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Farmer’s Market at the Galleria

Every Sunday between 9am-2pm, a Farmer’s Market is set up in the parking lot of the Galleria. I checked it out for the first time today.

I took 2 pics and then my camera died and I didn’t have any batteries with me. So I apologize for the lack of photos. 😦

It’s pretty cool, but I found the selection of fresh fruits and vegetables lacking. When I think “Farmers Market”, I think fresh produce! It was mostly vendors selling their wares and pre-made food. I’m not saying that’s necessarily a bad thing, but I was hoping for tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, avocadoes, grapefruits, and a whole plethora of fresh from the farm fruits and veggies!

I got there at 1:20. Maybe it was all gone by then? Or maybe they didn’t have those things today? I don’t know! I’m going to have to check it out the offerings next week.

In any case, I walked away with some fresh arugula, strawberries, and a sour cream cake from a Lithuanian vendor. I’m gonna make an arugula salad and some fresh strawberry glaze to put on the sour cream cake. Mmmm.

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Ichiban Hibachi, Steak House, and Sushi Bar

My guy and I consider ourselves sushi connoisseurs as we try to go at least once a month.  We like trying new sushi places and this was our first time at Ichiban in Ocean.  Well let me just say we were considerably impressed!

For starters we had a curry scallop with mango rice appetizer. I’m not a huge fan of mango, but they were perfectly chopped (small pieces) and integrated nicely with the rice providing a more aromatic effect than anything else. The scallops were succulent. Additionally, we consumed an order of gyoza which were perfectly made. I also had some salad, too.

For our main course, we shared a sashimi deluxe platter, special eel roll (eel, tuna, avocado), rock n roll (whitefish salmon, crab, scallion, caviar), “mysterious” roll (lobster, tuna, spicy mayo), and rainbow roll (california roll topped with salmon, tuna, whitefish, and yellowtail).

The sashimi platter came in a large bowl filled with ice. We think this was the key to why it was so delicious. The fish was ultra fresh! The rolls were out of this world. Immaculately made. I regret not having my camera with me – as you must see (and of course taste!) to appreciate.

We now think that Ichiban is our new favorite sushi restaurant. So run, don’t walk, to Ichiban. You’ll love it! 🙂

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